"The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him,
and said, 'Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away
the sin of the world."
John 1:29
Imagine with me a son comes home from college for the weekend. He brings a laundry bag of dirty clothes. His mother hugs him and receives the dirty clothes from his hand. By the time he is ready to return to the college campus, there are clean clothes to go with him. She washed them gladly. Anyone else would probably be offended to be given a bag of his dirty clothes. Not his mom. She loves him. The only thing we have to give to God is our soiled garments. He takes away the dirt and stains from our lives. The Bible calls it sin. We are washed and cleansed through Christ (1 John 1:7). The cross is about what God did with all of our sins.
The word Lamb is a symbol for our Lord Jesus Christ. It is rich in Old Testament imagery. It speaks of the animal offered by the priest's hands on the altar of sacrifice. It speaks of a substitute, that is one who dies in our place. The law requires death as the consequence of sin, but God shows us that we may live, because another dies for us. This all points to Christ as the Lamb of God.
A young man came to a pastor saying, "I have done some things in my life that I wish I could undo, but I can't. My conscience bothers me and I need help." The pastor said, "I can't help you, but I know someone who can. Jesus can take away all of your sins, if you will trust Him." The pastor led him in a prayer to give all of his sins to Christ. The pastor had assured him, "If you let go of your sins. Christ will take them. He will take them away." That's exactly what happened in that young man's life. Our sins are taken away through Christ.
God, take away our sins through Jesus Christ.
